Home
Field Skills · Lesson 6 of 6

TCCC Kit Guide

Your kit is only as good as your ability to use it. This guide covers what to carry, how to organize it for fast access under stress, and the key products used by TCCC-trained providers worldwide.

ℹ️
Interactive Checklist
Checkboxes on this page are interactive — check off items as you build or verify your kit. Your progress is saved in your browser.

Kit Principles

🔁
Standardize
Every team member's kit should be organized identically so anyone can access it in the dark.
✋
Accessible
Items you'll use first (tourniquet, chest seals) must be reachable with ONE hand without removing the bag.
🏷️
Labeled
Compartments labeled with contents. Consider color-coding: red = bleeding, blue = airway, etc.
📅
Maintained
Check kit monthly. Hemostatic gauze and chest seals expire. Know expiry dates.

Kit Tiers

There are 3 common kit tiers. Not everyone needs Tier 3. Choose based on your operational context.

Tier Name Use Case
1 Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) Personal, worn on person. Just enough to treat yourself or one casualty immediately.
2 Team Medical Kit (TMK) Carried by designated team medic. Treats 2–3 casualties, prolonged field care.
3 Austere Medical Kit (AMK) Extended operations, remote teams, multi-day scenarios. Surgical adjuncts, IV capabilities, medications.

🎽 Tier 1 — Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)

🩸 Hemorrhage Control
  • CAT Tourniquet (C-A-T Gen 7)
    The gold standard
    CRITICAL
  • SOFTT-W Tourniquet (backup)
    Wider for large limbs
    HIGH
  • Hemostatic Gauze (QuikClot or Celox)
    3" roll
    CRITICAL
  • Emergency Pressure Bandage (Israeli Bandage)
    4" or 6"
    CRITICAL
  • Permanent Marker
    For tourniquet time
    HIGH
💨 Airway
  • NPA (Nasopharyngeal Airway) 28Fr
    With lube
    CRITICAL
  • Surgilube sachets (2×)
    For NPA
    HIGH
🫁 Chest
  • Vented Chest Seal ×2 (Hyfin or Bolin)
    Both sides of chest
    CRITICAL
  • 14g 3.25" Needle Decompression Catheter
    For tension pneumo
    HIGH
🩹 Circulation / Other
  • Nitrile Gloves ×2 pairs
    Protection
    STANDARD
  • Trauma Shears
    Cut clothing fast
    HIGH
  • Casualty Card (TCCC DD1380)
    Documentation
    STANDARD
  • Chem Light (IR + visible)
    Night operations
    STANDARD

🎒 Tier 2 — Team Medical Kit (TMK)

📦
Includes Everything in Tier 1 ×3
Start with three copies of each Tier 1 item to treat multiple casualties, then add the items below.
🫁 Advanced Airway
  • Surgical Cricothyrotomy Kit
    Last-resort airway
    CRITICAL
  • Additional Chest Seals ×4
    Multiple casualty coverage
    HIGH
  • NPA set 28Fr, 32Fr, 36Fr
    Multiple sizes
    HIGH
💉 IV & Fluids
  • IV Kit (18g catheter ×3, tourni, tegaderm)
    Vascular access
    HIGH
  • Lactated Ringer's 500mL ×2
    Fluid resuscitation
    HIGH
💊 Medications
  • TXA (Tranexamic Acid) 1g/10mL ×2
    Within 3hrs of injury
    CRITICAL
  • Morphine 10mg/mL IM ×2
    Pain management (requires prescription in many countries)
    HIGH
  • Moxifloxacin 400mg (oral antibiotics)
    Penetrating wounds
    HIGH
🦴 Splinting & Other
  • SAM Splints ×2 (36" + 18")
    Fracture stabilization
    STANDARD
  • Emergency Bivvy / Heat Reflective Blanket
    Hypothermia prevention
    CRITICAL
  • BP Cuff (manual) + Pulse Ox
    Vital signs monitoring
    HIGH
  • Suture kit + stapler
    Wound closure
    STANDARD
  • Burn dressings ×2 (Water-Jel)
    Thermal injury management
    STANDARD

🏔️ Tier 3 — Austere Medical Kit (AMK)

Tier 3 kits are built around specific mission profiles. Common additions include: surgical airways (full cric kit), AAJT junctional tourniquet, bag-valve mask with O2 capability, blood products (freeze-dried plasma in some contexts), advanced airway adjuncts (LMA), extended medication formulary (ketamine, ondansetron), diagnostic tools (portable SpO2, field ultrasound in some programs). Tier 3 requires formal TCCC/PHTLS or higher training to use effectively.

Organizing Your Kit

🪢
Tourniquet on the Outside
Always accessible — often on shoulder strap or belt, never buried inside the bag.
🎨
Color-Coded Pouches
Red for bleeding, blue for airway, clear/white for everything else. Consistent across all team kits.
👁️
Muscle Memory Training
Retrieve items with eyes closed regularly. You'll use your kit at night, under stress, with cold hands.
🔍
Kit Inspection Protocol
Monthly inspection, rotate stock before expiry. A kit you haven't checked in 6 months is a liability.
💡
Hands-On Kit Assembly with MedReady
MedReady seminars include hands-on kit assembly and verification. You'll build your IFAK and run scenarios with it so muscle memory is trained on YOUR kit, not a demo kit. View upcoming seminars →
🎯
TCCC Guide Complete
You've covered all six lessons. Now it's time to practise. Open the MedReady app to run scenario drills and test your retention.
Open the MedReady App →